1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cutting mechanism for sheet-like conveyed materials for cutting the long sheet-like conveyed material widthwisely thereof which is conveyed along a transfer path in an apparatus. It also relates to a photographic processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, a system apparatus such as a photographic processing apparatus or a printing apparatus for use with a long sheet-like conveyed material comprises a plurality of processing units for discrete processes and transfer units disposed between the processing units for communication from one to the other. While the sheet-like conveyed material is being conveyed by the transfer units, it is subjected to the discrete processing actions of the processing units before discharged out as a product at the most downstream of the transfer units.
The action of such a photographic processing apparatus is now explained schematically by way of example. A long sheet-like material or a photosensitive material is supplied from its roll stored in a magazine, cut to a desired length, exposed in the exposure processing unit, developed in the development processing unit, dried in the drying unit, and released as photographs. The transfer units for conveying the photosensitive material are positioned so as to communicate the magazine with the exposure processing unit, the development processing unit, and the drying unit.
The exposure processing unit, the development processing unit, the drying unit, and the transfer unit are separately provided as independent unit mechanisms for ease of assembly and disassembly. In particular, the transfer units are installed at various positions in the apparatus and provided as multiple units. Some of the transfer units are arranged withdrawable out from the apparatus body for ease of maintenance.
However, in any conventional photographic processing apparatus, if the sheet-like conveyed material is jammed on the transfer path by a possible fault, it has to be cut apart by scissors or a cutter knife manually inserted into the apparatus and elaborately accessed to the location of jamming between the units. Then, the relevant unit is unlocked and removed out from the apparatus and a jammed portion of the sheet-like conveyed material is taken out from the unit. Such a troublesome task is generally conducted at a limited narrow space in the apparatus body, hence declining the operability, consuming the time, and discouraging the safety due to the use of scissors or a cutter knife.
It is thus an object of the present invention, for eliminating the foregoing drawback of the prior art, to provide a cutting mechanism for sheet-like conveyed material and a photographic processing apparatus capable of readily and easily liberating a sheet-like conveyed material jammed and halted while being conveyed along the transfer path.
For achievement of the above object, the cutting mechanism for sheet-like conveyed material according to the present invention is provided comprising: a unit provided across the transfer path for conveying the long sheet-like conveyed material in a lengthwise direction; a movable member provided in the unit for moving forward and backward along a crosswise direction of the transfer path; and a blade mounted on the movable member for cutting the sheet-like conveyed material widthwisely thereof as the movable member is moved.
The cutting mechanism for sheet-like conveyed material permits the blade mounted to the movable member to travel in the crosswise direction of the transfer path when the movable member is moved relative to the unit. Accordingly, the sheet-like conveyed material halted and maintained on the transfer path can be cut apart widthwisely by the blade traveling in the crosswise direction of the transfer path. The sheet-like conveyed material jammed on the transfer path will thus be liberated readily and easily.
The movable member may preferably comprise a pair of strips arranged opposite to each other on both sides of the transfer path while the blade is disposed between the two strips.
This arrangement permits the sheet-like conveyed material to run between the two opposite strips. In case that the sheet-like conveyed material is jammed on the transfer path, it can simply be cut apart by advancing the movable member with the blade mounted between the two strips thereof.
Also, the two strips may preferably be deflected outwardly as spaced increasingly from each other at the upstream end of the transfer path side.
This arrangement of the cutting mechanism for sheet-like conveyed material allows the sheet-like conveyed material, for example, of which the leasing end is slightly skewed as forwarded from the upstream, to be positively guided by the deflected ends of the two strips so as to run between the two strips. Thereby, the sheet-like conveyed material can successfully be conveyed without major interruption.
Alternatively, the cutting mechanism may further comprise a holding means for restricting the forward and backward movement of the movable member in relative to the unit and maintaining the movable member at a given location.
This arrangement eliminates undesired movements of the movable member and can ensure the smooth conveying of the sheet-like conveyed material without major interruption.
The movable member may preferably comprise a through slit provided member which is arranged for moving in a direction widthwisely of the sheet-like conveyed material and has a through slit provided therein through which the sheet-like conveyed material is conveyed along the transfer path, and a blade provided at one end of the through slit thereof along the widthwise direction of the sheet-like conveyed material, wherein the sheet-like conveyed material extending across the through slit can be cut apart with the blade as the through slit member is moved from one position to the other.
This arrangement permits the photosensitive material which is jammed in one of two adjacent units to be cut apart with the blade provided at one end of the through slit when the through slit provided member is moved towards the other end widthwisely of the photosensitive material which remains extending across the through slit in the through slit provided member after the photographic processing action is canceled. Accordingly, a jammed portion of the photosensitive material can be taken out from the unit by an operator of the apparatus. The blade is provided at the one end of the through slit in the through slit provided member and will rarely be interrupted with any other components than the photosensitive material. As a result, a cover for protecting the blade from being interrupted is unnecessary. Since the blade in the cutting mechanism for maintenance task is interrupted by no other components but the photosensitive material, the entire arrangement of the cutting mechanism can be simplified.
Alternatively, the cutting mechanism for sheet-like conveyed material may further comprise an urging means for urging the through slit provided member in a direction opposite to the direction for cutting the sheet-like conveyed material, and a positioning means for positioning the through slit provided member so that the sheet-like conveyed material is conveyed across the through slit of the through slit provided member, the positioning means having a stopper thereof for halting the movement of the through slit provided member driven by the urging force of the urging means.
This arrangement allows the through slit provided member to be returned back to its original position by the yielding force of the urging means after the cutting action and held at the position with the stopper so that the photosensitive material can pass across its through slit. Accordingly, the positioning of the through slit provided member or the positioning for allowing the photosensitive material to pass across the through slit in the through slit provided member will be conducted easily and certainly.
The urging means may preferably be a coil spring while the through slit provided member is a portion of the coil spring.
This arrangement can make a combination of the urging means and the through slit provided member more simple.
A photographic processing apparatus according to the present invention is provided comprising at least two or more units, each having a transfer path for conveying a long sheet-like conveyed material or a photosensitive material in the lengthwise direction, the units aligned in the apparatus body with their transfer paths connecting one another, at least one of the units arranged withdrawable out from the apparatus body in a crosswise direction of the transfer path. More particularly, a movable member is accommodated in the withdrawable unit for moving forward and backward in the crosswise direction of the transfer path. The movable member includes a blade for cutting the photosensitive material as the movable member is moved.
This arrangement permits the photosensitive material, when it is jammed, to be cut apart by the movable member simply moved widthwisely of the photosensitive material with no use of scissors or the like inserted and accessed to the location of jamming in the apparatus. More particularly, in case that the photosensitive material is jammed and halted between the two units to interrupt the relative action of the two units, it can be cut apart hence allowing the relevant unit to be withdrawn from the apparatus. A jammed portion of the photosensitive material will then be taken out from the unit readily and easily.
Another photographic processing apparatus according to the present invention is provided comprising: at least two or more magazines disposed in the apparatus body, each magazine arranged in which a roll of photosensitive material is stored as a long sheet-like conveyed material; a transfer path disposed in the apparatus body and arranged to communicate with the feed outlet of each magazine and combine its branches to one path at the downstream; and a transfer unit disposed in the apparatus body and arranged to selectively convey one of at least two or more sheets of the photosensitive material along the transfer path. The transfer unit has movable members disposed therein, each movable member arranged opposite to the feed outlet of the corresponding magazine for moving forward and backward in a crosswise direction of the transfer path. The movable member includes a blade for cutting the photosensitive material widthwisely thereof as the movable member is moved.
This arrangement permits the movable member to be withdrawn when the photosensitive material is jammed while conveyed from the magazine to the transfer unit. After the photosensitive material is cut apart between the magazine and the unit, the unit is removed out from the apparatus body. Finally, a jammed portion of the photosensitive material is taken out from the unit which has been removed out from the apparatus body.